October 20, 2023 • 17 mins
Have you ever wondered how the strength of faith could radically transform a community? Settle in as we journey through the letter of Paul, Silas, and Timothy to the Thessalonians, a testament of love, faith, and courage in the face of adversity. We dive into the unique aspects of this letter - from Paul's gentle greeting, devoid of his usual authority stamp, to the palpable love he had for the Thessalonians. As we traverse these scriptures together, let's reflect on how we can channel that same love and prayers towards our communities.
Imagine transitioning from idol worshipers to passionate followers of the gospel. That's the story of the Thessalonians. Their faith not only transformed them but also had a massive impact on their community, making them a beacon for believers in Macedonia and Achaya. As we dissect the journey of the Thessalonians, we touch on the fear of suffering, the courage it takes to face adversity, and the power of faith to effect change. Join us as we draw inspiration from the Thessalonians' radical transformation and learn the power of unwavering faith.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome back to the two fish podcast.
My name is Nick, I'm Aaron andthis week we're going first by
verse and starting firstThessalonians.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
That's right.
This week we're going back toverse by verse.
Last week we dove into aparable because we hadn't done a
parable in a while.
In there we had a series goingto parables and we're like this
week, we're going to start thebig book of first Thessalonians.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Yeah, and if you didn't hear last week's episode,
go back, pause this one, goback, listen to that one,
because, man, it was so goodTalking about forgiveness and we
ended up talking about grace,and man, it was just really good
.
So this week, first,thessalonians.
Going back to one of theletters in the New Testament,
this one's by Paul.
Paul's obviously a missionary.
He's with Savannas and Timothy.
(00:55):
Now, at this point in Paul'sministry he's hanging out with
some sketchy places, with somesketchy people, and I only say
that because I can't pronouncethe names, so I'm going to
assume he's in a weird spot.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Who's your say he's with?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Silvanas and Timothy.
What does your?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
say Silas, what?
That's so much easier to read.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
He's with Paul, Silas and Timothy.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I do have a footnote down there for the Greek name
and it's a variant of.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Silas yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Apparently I am reading out of the NIV version
and I am.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
ESV or die, and apparently die on that one.
Die on that one Holy cow,alright.
So he's hanging out with Paul,silas and Timothy and they're
traveling and they're spreadingthe word and this is a letter
back to the Church ofThessalonians and so they've
already been there, they'vealready been through there and
this first chapter it's not verylong 10 verses and there's just
(01:55):
a whole lot of praise for thiscommunity, for this church.
So we'll just kind of go, we'llstop here and there.
If you never heard a verse byverse style episode that we've
done, this is kind of what we do.
Go back and listen to some ofthe other ones we've done man,
james, and 1st and 2nd Peter andPhilemon, we've been done a
bunch of them now.
So kind of bounce around andwe're in Thessalonians.
(02:17):
So here we go, firstThessalonians, chapter one Paul,
silas and Timothy to the churchof Thessalonians.
In God, the Father and the LordJesus Christ.
Grace to you and peace.
Just a quick introduction.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, with Paul's signature.
Grace and peace to you.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yeah, what he doesn't do here, though and he does a
lot is say something like theapostle Paul or a slave to Jesus
has some authority, he putssome authority there, and to me
this one's a little bit morelaid back feeling, yeah it's a
good point.
He usually have the apostlePaul or a slave to Jesus.
One of those things of justsaying hey, this is who I am,
(02:58):
you can trust me, I have someauthority here.
What am I about to say?
Means something.
We just did that study onPhilemon and that reminds me how
he opened that one and it wasmore of a it's not that same
same opening and this one'ssimilar to that yeah verse
number two, we give thanks toGod always for all of you,
(03:18):
consistently mentioning you inour prayers, remembering before
our God and Father your work offaith and labor of love and
steadfastness of hope in ourLord Jesus Christ.
For we know, brothers loved byGod, that he has chosen you
because our gospel came to younot only in word but also in
power and the Holy Spirit andwith full conviction.
(03:41):
You know what kind of men weproved to be among you.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
For your sake, let's stop right there, I think I'm
like dive into verse two here.
We always thank God for all ofyou and continually mention you
in our prayers.
Do you do that?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
No, not like this.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Tell you, what do you like?
Do you pray for five people inyour church, even five?
Speaker 1 (04:08):
No on a consistent basis.
Consistently is the word minesays no mine continually yeah,
no, what about your town?
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Nope, you ever prayed for your town?
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Walk a rusa?
Yeah, I don't think so.
a lot going on in this littletown like you know, they ended
with deep conviction and that'swhere you ended, yeah most right
yeah and I'm like, well, we cango back first to and I'm pretty
convicted that there's not toomany people in my church that Of
recent I have prayed for byname or even in another
(04:44):
community, like whether it'syour church, or maybe it's a
Bible study, or maybe it's ayour co-workers or I mean just
any community You're a part of.
Not that long ago, aaron and Idid a men's thing and I think
there's several names that cometo mind when I think of that
community that that weekend andI know I prayed for one of them
there was a situation with hisfamily, but the other ones I
(05:04):
really haven't.
So no, and that then you'reright, that was a little
convicting to say, okay, I needto go back and I need to start
praying for those guys.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah, it's pretty terrible, like I think we could
spend a whole episode just onthat.
First probably and again.
I it man.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
this opening is very, very much laid back feeling to
me versus some of his other ones, and but it's deep, but yeah,
that's pretty, and I wonder howthat would have come across,
maybe, as yo, I'm Paul, I'm theapostle, I'm a servant of God, I
have this authority.
I pray for you constantly andyou did a good job.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Yeah, I think it definitely comes across
differently when and you guys, Ipray for you constantly because
you did such a good job I justthink there's an attitude here.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Remembering you verse 3 and your work of faith and
labor and love.
I can just imagine them comingthrough Receiving the gospel.
That verse 5 man, that really.
Hey, we didn't just come to youin word, but we came to you
with the power of the HolySpirit and with full conviction.
That's kind of where he'sgetting that.
Hey, we came in and we came inhard.
Right.
(06:13):
Verse 3 read yours again,remembering before our God and
father your work of faith andlabor of love.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Instead, fastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ
really like how mine reads weremember before our God and
father your work produced byfaith, your labor prompted by
love and your endurance inspiredby hope and our Lord.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Jesus Christ.
That is a lot.
I like that.
That calls me back to our lastweek conversation, where it's
like which we call back toanother episode where we were
saying you know, salvation isn'tworks, it's faith, but works
come out of that.
I think this is a great example, then, the way that reads of
here's the proof in the pudding.
He should be writing thisletter to all the other people,
(07:04):
saying all the other churchessaying, hey, look at
Thessalonius.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
All right.
Look at the work they're doingbecause of their faith.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
This is the example.
Yeah verse number six, and youbecame imitators of us and of
the Lord, for you received theword in much Afflection with the
joy of the Holy Spirit, so thatyou became an example to all
believers in Macedonia and inAchaya.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Chia.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Achia, macedonia and Chia.
That's where Macadone macaroniand cheese came from that that
area of the world, and and thechia pet a chia pet.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
No, not really, we have no idea.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
We're terrible.
There you go.
He says it you guys have becomean example.
Yeah, because you're livingthis out.
You accepted it, you understandit and you're living it out.
You're showing the fruits.
You became imitators.
I mean, I think of Paul in theHall of Apostles.
You know what I mean?
He is the example, Jesus is theexample, and then Paul's like
(08:09):
okay, this is how we practicallylive it out right, yeah, mine.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Mine reads you became imitators of us.
So being us as Paul, silas andTimothy, and of the Lord For you
, welcome the message in themidst of severe suffering, with
the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
That just reminds me that, like, as we become Christians,
(08:34):
there's gonna be suffering.
Oh yeah, god's gonna.
Let us go into the fire to berefined.
There's a way out of it andit's going to refine you and
you're to find joy in that andthe joy is going to come from
the Holy Spirit as you're goingthrough these moments of
suffering.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Yeah, and obviously the Solonia has done a great job
of going from affliction minesays affliction with the joy of
the Holy Spirit, Because it'sone thing to go through trials
and be upset about it and beangry and kick the dirt.
It's another way to say, oh man, I hate this, but thank you,
Lord, Because I know what thisis going to produce.
(09:13):
Like you said, I'm goingthrough the fire.
This is going to make me betteron the other side.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I don't have my phone , but my divo today it was the
fear of suffering is greaterthan the suffering.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
That's interesting the fear because we don't want
to suffer.
No one wants to suffer, Right?
So do everything we can to nothave to suffer.
And if we would?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
just allow the process.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
The actual suffering is nowhere near what the fear of
suffering or the end result istotal is 180 degrees and
different than what we thoughtit was going to be Right.
We thought, going through thesuffering, we're going to result
A was going to happen, butreally result B happened and
that's a result B is really whatwe were hoping for and without
(10:00):
having to go through sufferingSometimes.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
if we would just allow God to do what he needs to
do, I think we fight it forsure.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
That makes me think of about that men's thing you
and I did and there was a guythere that spoke and said it's
more like climbing a mountain,except you're never at the top.
Right, you start climbing headtowards God and then you get to
where God is, except now he'sgoing further up the mountain.
Yeah, he doesn't just.
You don't just get there.
(10:30):
We need God.
We're there, he worked on us,we're good and now we can just
chill there.
God's like no, I got more foryou.
It's going to keep backing upthat mountain and we've got to
keep climbing that mountain.
We're going to go throughthings.
Climbing a mountain is not easy.
That's why a lot of peopledon't do it.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
If you guys could have saw Nick's face, that was
great.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
People don't do it because it's hard, and so you're
going to go through things asyou climb that mountain and I
love the way that guy said itthat weekend but you get to
where God is and then he saidlet's keep going, yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
And said what Nick didn't even go on want to go on
a walk with his wife down theflat roads of.
Indiana, but oftentimes we makeGod chase us down the mountain
Instead of us chasing him up themountain.
Right, that's good.
So we all need to be a littlemore Sounds like the
(11:28):
Thessalonians, yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Verse number eight, for not only has the word of the
Lord sounded forth from you inMacedonia and Achia, but your
faith in God has gone fortheverywhere, so that we need not
say anything.
And what a compliment in mymind if I'm a Thessalonian
reading this, I'm like, oh mygosh.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yeah, coming from a man of power.
Yeah, a man, I don't want tosay power Authority.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Authority Over the and he's realizing hey, what's
coming out of you, what's comingout of your area?
I mean, you're doing everythingright.
You're doing such a great joband the world sees it and it's
making a difference.
You're the example.
We don't even have to sayanything because you're doing it
right.
(12:18):
Verse number nine, for theythemselves report concerning us,
the kind of reception we hadamong you and how you turn to
God from idols to serve theliving God and to wait for his
son from heaven, whom he raisedfrom the dead, jesus, who
delivers us from the wrath, tocome.
I think and I feel like we'vetalked about this before on some
other books that we've done,but this is definitely a
(12:40):
community that obviously thisone says idolatry, served idols
and then completely turnedaround and now they're the
example.
So for this community, go fromserving idols to hearing the
gospel, accepting the gospel andnow showing fruit of the gospel
, so much that it's not justhanging out in their little
(13:03):
community, it's going forth theresults of the.
I mean it's like when peoplesay you're changing your family
tree.
This is a community that'scompletely and radically changed
.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Yeah, I would imagine if you were living back there
and you saw a whole pound justflip the script, you're going to
notice that, because I imaginethere's some should probably
look this up.
But there's probably somereally unhealthy things going on
in this area and they foundChrist and flipped it.
(13:37):
And as people came in for thoseunhealthy things, they're
probably like, hey, no, we'renot doing that anymore here.
That idol, no, it's not here.
We got Jesus.
Now you?
want to hear about Jesus Let meshare Jesus with you and why we
don't have this idol anymore.
Which kind of brings me back tothe whole convictions thing of
(13:58):
verse two, Like are we doingthat in our communities?
Are you doing that with yourown family?
Perhaps I can't help but thinkof the one guy from the weekend
and hopefully, someday maybe wecould hear a story.
But he went home and his kidssaw the change of heart.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
And then they got baptized.
Yeah, and the ones testimonywas I knew God was real because
of how my dad changed.
And that's that's Thessalonians, right?
I like that's what Paul'swriting to them and thanking
them for doing and for theirwillingness to to follow the
(14:40):
Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
So I mean, this is a very short chapter, a very first
, short opening of this book ofThessalonians, but I definitely
think there are things we canpull from this self.
Reflect for a second how am I,nick, how am I praying for
others from the standpoint ofPaul and Silas and Timothy, like
, am I praying for others thatI've talked with or witness to,
(15:06):
or those things?
Am I going back and thinkingabout those people and praying
for their journey?
Am I doing that?
Am I praying for the communityaround me?
And then am I people looking atme and not just saying, oh,
there's Nick, but the same man,there's something different
about him, and they can seeChrist, now that I am Christ,
but they can see the fruits ofmy Christian witness and I think
(15:29):
sometimes, going through life,that's not the case.
I'm content with being read myBible and I put a church, and
sometimes I don't even do thatbecause you get busy and you
skip church because you haven'tslept in a month.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
You know right.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
And you make sacrifices, places where you
shouldn't.
Am I that?
And if you are in a season ofthat and look towards that's
lonely, and as we continue to gothrough this book, turn away
from that and say I need to showthe light.
That has been.
People need to see Christthrough me, they need to see the
fruit.
So I can't, I shouldn't justhold on to it.
(16:05):
The people around me should beable to be able to see that
fruit.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, I think there's even a.
There's even a third one wedidn't even really talk about
and that's if you know somebodythat's doing that being
encouraged or send them a letter, and encouraging letter, and
hey, I see how you have changedand I see what you're doing.
It's going to impressive.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I know who you were before and that might make a
huge difference to someone.
We were just talking to my wifebefore we came down in the
studio.
It's like my wife is saying Ididn't realize how much of a
words of affirmation person Ican be sometimes.
It really fills me up, yeah, sothat might just be something
that this person needs.
Hey, I see you're doing a greatjob.
(16:49):
I see Christ, keep going, Idon't know.
Reflect on those things thisweek as a short episode, that's
all right, and next week we'llbe back first as long as chapter
to read it this week as you goand then join us next week on
the two fish podcast.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Thanks for tuning in this week.
If you enjoyed this episode,hit those like and subscribe
buttons Also.
Head over to two fish podcastdot com to join the rest of the
two fish community and all ofour social media platforms.
Welcome back to the two fish podcast.
My name is Nick, I'm Aaron andthis week we're going first by
verse and starting firstThessalonians.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
That's right.
This week we're going back toverse by verse.
Last week we dove into aparable because we hadn't done a
parable in a while.
In there we had a series goingto parables and we're like this
week, we're going to start thebig book of first Thessalonians.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Yeah, and if you didn't hear last week's episode,
go back, pause this one, goback, listen to that one,
because, man, it was so goodTalking about forgiveness and we
ended up talking about grace,and man, it was just really good
.
So this week, first,thessalonians.
Going back to one of theletters in the New Testament,
this one's by Paul.
Paul's obviously a missionary.
He's with Savannas and Timothy.
(00:55):
Now, at this point in Paul'sministry he's hanging out with
some sketchy places, with somesketchy people, and I only say
that because I can't pronouncethe names, so I'm going to
assume he's in a weird spot.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Who's your say he's with?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Silvanas and Timothy.
What does your?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
say Silas, what?
That's so much easier to read.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
He's with Paul, Silas and Timothy.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I do have a footnote down there for the Greek name
and it's a variant of.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Silas yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Apparently I am reading out of the NIV version
and I am.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
ESV or die, and apparently die on that one.
Die on that one Holy cow,alright.
So he's hanging out with Paul,silas and Timothy and they're
traveling and they're spreadingthe word and this is a letter
back to the Church ofThessalonians and so they've
already been there, they'vealready been through there and
this first chapter it's not verylong 10 verses and there's just
(01:55):
a whole lot of praise for thiscommunity, for this church.
So we'll just kind of go, we'llstop here and there.
If you never heard a verse byverse style episode that we've
done, this is kind of what we do.
Go back and listen to some ofthe other ones we've done man,
james, and 1st and 2nd Peter andPhilemon, we've been done a
bunch of them now.
So kind of bounce around andwe're in Thessalonians.
(02:17):
So here we go, firstThessalonians, chapter one Paul,
silas and Timothy to the churchof Thessalonians.
In God, the Father and the LordJesus Christ.
Grace to you and peace.
Just a quick introduction.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, with Paul's signature.
Grace and peace to you.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yeah, what he doesn't do here, though and he does a
lot is say something like theapostle Paul or a slave to Jesus
has some authority, he putssome authority there, and to me
this one's a little bit morelaid back feeling, yeah it's a
good point.
He usually have the apostlePaul or a slave to Jesus.
One of those things of justsaying hey, this is who I am,
(02:58):
you can trust me, I have someauthority here.
What am I about to say?
Means something.
We just did that study onPhilemon and that reminds me how
he opened that one and it wasmore of a it's not that same
same opening and this one'ssimilar to that yeah verse
number two, we give thanks toGod always for all of you,
(03:18):
consistently mentioning you inour prayers, remembering before
our God and Father your work offaith and labor of love and
steadfastness of hope in ourLord Jesus Christ.
For we know, brothers loved byGod, that he has chosen you
because our gospel came to younot only in word but also in
power and the Holy Spirit andwith full conviction.
(03:41):
You know what kind of men weproved to be among you.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
For your sake, let's stop right there, I think I'm
like dive into verse two here.
We always thank God for all ofyou and continually mention you
in our prayers.
Do you do that?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
No, not like this.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Tell you, what do you like?
Do you pray for five people inyour church, even five?
Speaker 1 (04:08):
No on a consistent basis.
Consistently is the word minesays no mine continually yeah,
no, what about your town?
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Nope, you ever prayed for your town?
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Walk a rusa?
Yeah, I don't think so.
a lot going on in this littletown like you know, they ended
with deep conviction and that'swhere you ended, yeah most right
yeah and I'm like, well, we cango back first to and I'm pretty
convicted that there's not toomany people in my church that Of
recent I have prayed for byname or even in another
(04:44):
community, like whether it'syour church, or maybe it's a
Bible study, or maybe it's ayour co-workers or I mean just
any community You're a part of.
Not that long ago, aaron and Idid a men's thing and I think
there's several names that cometo mind when I think of that
community that that weekend andI know I prayed for one of them
there was a situation with hisfamily, but the other ones I
(05:04):
really haven't.
So no, and that then you'reright, that was a little
convicting to say, okay, I needto go back and I need to start
praying for those guys.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah, it's pretty terrible, like I think we could
spend a whole episode just onthat.
First probably and again.
I it man.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
this opening is very, very much laid back feeling to
me versus some of his other ones, and but it's deep, but yeah,
that's pretty, and I wonder howthat would have come across,
maybe, as yo, I'm Paul, I'm theapostle, I'm a servant of God, I
have this authority.
I pray for you constantly andyou did a good job.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Yeah, I think it definitely comes across
differently when and you guys, Ipray for you constantly because
you did such a good job I justthink there's an attitude here.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Remembering you verse 3 and your work of faith and
labor and love.
I can just imagine them comingthrough Receiving the gospel.
That verse 5 man, that really.
Hey, we didn't just come to youin word, but we came to you
with the power of the HolySpirit and with full conviction.
That's kind of where he'sgetting that.
Hey, we came in and we came inhard.
Right.
(06:13):
Verse 3 read yours again,remembering before our God and
father your work of faith andlabor of love.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Instead, fastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ
really like how mine reads weremember before our God and
father your work produced byfaith, your labor prompted by
love and your endurance inspiredby hope and our Lord.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Jesus Christ.
That is a lot.
I like that.
That calls me back to our lastweek conversation, where it's
like which we call back toanother episode where we were
saying you know, salvation isn'tworks, it's faith, but works
come out of that.
I think this is a great example, then, the way that reads of
here's the proof in the pudding.
He should be writing thisletter to all the other people,
(07:04):
saying all the other churchessaying, hey, look at
Thessalonius.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
All right.
Look at the work they're doingbecause of their faith.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
This is the example.
Yeah verse number six, and youbecame imitators of us and of
the Lord, for you received theword in much Afflection with the
joy of the Holy Spirit, so thatyou became an example to all
believers in Macedonia and inAchaya.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Chia.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Achia, macedonia and Chia.
That's where Macadone macaroniand cheese came from that that
area of the world, and and thechia pet a chia pet.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
No, not really, we have no idea.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
We're terrible.
There you go.
He says it you guys have becomean example.
Yeah, because you're livingthis out.
You accepted it, you understandit and you're living it out.
You're showing the fruits.
You became imitators.
I mean, I think of Paul in theHall of Apostles.
You know what I mean?
He is the example, Jesus is theexample, and then Paul's like
(08:09):
okay, this is how we practicallylive it out right, yeah, mine.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Mine reads you became imitators of us.
So being us as Paul, silas andTimothy, and of the Lord For you
, welcome the message in themidst of severe suffering, with
the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
That just reminds me that, like, as we become Christians,
(08:34):
there's gonna be suffering.
Oh yeah, god's gonna.
Let us go into the fire to berefined.
There's a way out of it andit's going to refine you and
you're to find joy in that andthe joy is going to come from
the Holy Spirit as you're goingthrough these moments of
suffering.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Yeah, and obviously the Solonia has done a great job
of going from affliction minesays affliction with the joy of
the Holy Spirit, Because it'sone thing to go through trials
and be upset about it and beangry and kick the dirt.
It's another way to say, oh man, I hate this, but thank you,
Lord, Because I know what thisis going to produce.
(09:13):
Like you said, I'm goingthrough the fire.
This is going to make me betteron the other side.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I don't have my phone , but my divo today it was the
fear of suffering is greaterthan the suffering.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
That's interesting the fear because we don't want
to suffer.
No one wants to suffer, Right?
So do everything we can to nothave to suffer.
And if we would?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
just allow the process.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
The actual suffering is nowhere near what the fear of
suffering or the end result istotal is 180 degrees and
different than what we thoughtit was going to be Right.
We thought, going through thesuffering, we're going to result
A was going to happen, butreally result B happened and
that's a result B is really whatwe were hoping for and without
(10:00):
having to go through sufferingSometimes.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
if we would just allow God to do what he needs to
do, I think we fight it forsure.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
That makes me think of about that men's thing you
and I did and there was a guythere that spoke and said it's
more like climbing a mountain,except you're never at the top.
Right, you start climbing headtowards God and then you get to
where God is, except now he'sgoing further up the mountain.
Yeah, he doesn't just.
You don't just get there.
(10:30):
We need God.
We're there, he worked on us,we're good and now we can just
chill there.
God's like no, I got more foryou.
It's going to keep backing upthat mountain and we've got to
keep climbing that mountain.
We're going to go throughthings.
Climbing a mountain is not easy.
That's why a lot of peopledon't do it.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
If you guys could have saw Nick's face, that was
great.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
People don't do it because it's hard, and so you're
going to go through things asyou climb that mountain and I
love the way that guy said itthat weekend but you get to
where God is and then he saidlet's keep going, yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
And said what Nick didn't even go on want to go on
a walk with his wife down theflat roads of.
Indiana, but oftentimes we makeGod chase us down the mountain
Instead of us chasing him up themountain.
Right, that's good.
So we all need to be a littlemore Sounds like the
(11:28):
Thessalonians, yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Verse number eight, for not only has the word of the
Lord sounded forth from you inMacedonia and Achia, but your
faith in God has gone fortheverywhere, so that we need not
say anything.
And what a compliment in mymind if I'm a Thessalonian
reading this, I'm like, oh mygosh.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yeah, coming from a man of power.
Yeah, a man, I don't want tosay power Authority.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Authority Over the and he's realizing hey, what's
coming out of you, what's comingout of your area?
I mean, you're doing everythingright.
You're doing such a great joband the world sees it and it's
making a difference.
You're the example.
We don't even have to sayanything because you're doing it
right.
(12:18):
Verse number nine, for theythemselves report concerning us,
the kind of reception we hadamong you and how you turn to
God from idols to serve theliving God and to wait for his
son from heaven, whom he raisedfrom the dead, jesus, who
delivers us from the wrath, tocome.
I think and I feel like we'vetalked about this before on some
other books that we've done,but this is definitely a
(12:40):
community that obviously thisone says idolatry, served idols
and then completely turnedaround and now they're the
example.
So for this community, go fromserving idols to hearing the
gospel, accepting the gospel andnow showing fruit of the gospel
, so much that it's not justhanging out in their little
(13:03):
community, it's going forth theresults of the.
I mean it's like when peoplesay you're changing your family
tree.
This is a community that'scompletely and radically changed
.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Yeah, I would imagine if you were living back there
and you saw a whole pound justflip the script, you're going to
notice that, because I imaginethere's some should probably
look this up.
But there's probably somereally unhealthy things going on
in this area and they foundChrist and flipped it.
(13:37):
And as people came in for thoseunhealthy things, they're
probably like, hey, no, we'renot doing that anymore here.
That idol, no, it's not here.
We got Jesus.
Now you?
want to hear about Jesus Let meshare Jesus with you and why we
don't have this idol anymore.
Which kind of brings me back tothe whole convictions thing of
(13:58):
verse two, Like are we doingthat in our communities?
Are you doing that with yourown family?
Perhaps I can't help but thinkof the one guy from the weekend
and hopefully, someday maybe wecould hear a story.
But he went home and his kidssaw the change of heart.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
And then they got baptized.
Yeah, and the ones testimonywas I knew God was real because
of how my dad changed.
And that's that's Thessalonians, right?
I like that's what Paul'swriting to them and thanking
them for doing and for theirwillingness to to follow the
(14:40):
Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
So I mean, this is a very short chapter, a very first
, short opening of this book ofThessalonians, but I definitely
think there are things we canpull from this self.
Reflect for a second how am I,nick, how am I praying for
others from the standpoint ofPaul and Silas and Timothy, like
, am I praying for others thatI've talked with or witness to,
(15:06):
or those things?
Am I going back and thinkingabout those people and praying
for their journey?
Am I doing that?
Am I praying for the communityaround me?
And then am I people looking atme and not just saying, oh,
there's Nick, but the same man,there's something different
about him, and they can seeChrist, now that I am Christ,
but they can see the fruits ofmy Christian witness and I think
(15:29):
sometimes, going through life,that's not the case.
I'm content with being read myBible and I put a church, and
sometimes I don't even do thatbecause you get busy and you
skip church because you haven'tslept in a month.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
You know right.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
And you make sacrifices, places where you
shouldn't.
Am I that?
And if you are in a season ofthat and look towards that's
lonely, and as we continue to gothrough this book, turn away
from that and say I need to showthe light.
That has been.
People need to see Christthrough me, they need to see the
fruit.
So I can't, I shouldn't justhold on to it.
(16:05):
The people around me should beable to be able to see that
fruit.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, I think there's even a.
There's even a third one wedidn't even really talk about
and that's if you know somebodythat's doing that being
encouraged or send them a letter, and encouraging letter, and
hey, I see how you have changedand I see what you're doing.
It's going to impressive.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I know who you were before and that might make a
huge difference to someone.
We were just talking to my wifebefore we came down in the
studio.
It's like my wife is saying Ididn't realize how much of a
words of affirmation person Ican be sometimes.
It really fills me up, yeah, sothat might just be something
that this person needs.
Hey, I see you're doing a greatjob.
(16:49):
I see Christ, keep going, Idon't know.
Reflect on those things thisweek as a short episode, that's
all right, and next week we'llbe back first as long as chapter
to read it this week as you goand then join us next week on
the two fish podcast.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Thanks for tuning in this week.
If you enjoyed this episode,hit those like and subscribe
buttons Also.
Head over to two fish podcastdot com to join the rest of the
two fish community and all ofour social media platforms.
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